The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

""TEMPORAL POWER OF THE POPES. 163The first embraces the period which elapsed fromthe establishment of the Church to the days of Congtantinethe Great, in the fourth century the second,;from Constantine to Charlemagne, who was cro\Miedemperor in the year 800; the third, from Charlemagne to the present time.When St. Peter, the firstPope in the long, unbroken line of Sovereign Pontiffs, entered Italy andRome, he did not possess a foot of ground which hecould call his own. He could say with his divineMaster : The foxes have holes and the birds of theair nests ;but the Son of man hath not whereon tolay His head." l The Apostle died as he had lived,a poor man, having nothing at his death save theaffections of a grateful people.But although the Prince of the Apostles ownednothing that he could call his personal property, hereceived from the faithful large donations to be distributed among the needy. For, in the Acts of theApostles, we are told that neither was any one amongas werethem (the faithful) needy; for as manyowners of lands or houses, sold them, and broughtthe prices of the things which they sold and laidthem before the feet of the Apostles, and distribution was made to every one according as he hadneed." 2 Such was the filial attachment of the earlyChristians towards the Pontiffs of the Church ; suchwas the confidence reposed in their personal integ1Matt, viii 20.aActs iv. 34, 36.